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ServiceMaster installed GPS tracking to reduce fuel costs and monitor employee efficiency and discovered additional benefits. Not only were fuel costs down 5 percent per month, but the system’s route replay capability allowed for the recovery of nearly $35,000 worth of stolen equipment.

ServiceMaster of Onondaga County provides expert commercial and residential cleaning services throughout Onondaga, Madison, Oswego, Cayuga and Cortland counties in New York State.

From emergency fire and water clean ups to carpet and upholstery cleaning, ServiceMaster of Onondaga County delivers fast response, expert service and guaranteed satisfaction.

When Chris Close, owner of ServiceMaster of Onondaga County, decided to implement a GPS tracking system to monitor the nine vehicles in his company's fleet, he asked other ServiceMaster franchise owners to recommend a reliable system with proven results.

After a few calls, Mr. Close found that the Fleetmatics GPS Tracking System always provided tangible benefits to his colleagues.

The Need For Fleetmatics GPS

Mr. Close had several reasons why he wanted to install GPS on his vehicle fleet.

First, he wanted to reduce the amount of fuel his fleet used. With gas prices and other expenses climbing, reducing fuel usage amounts to extra revenue.

Second, he wanted to be sure his employees were taking proper routes to their job sites.

"I wanted to know where my guys were driving and make sure they were being efficient," said Mr. Close. "I also wanted to keep track of idling times and speeding.

Fleetmatics includes powerful alerting features which notify Mr. Close if one of his vehicles idles for an excessive amount of time or exceeds a specified speed threshold. With the system in place, ServiceMaster of Onondaga was able to achieve their desired goals.

"Fleetmatics helped us reduce fuel consumption by 5 percent per month," said Mr. Close."Some people say 'a 5 percent drop isn't that much,' but when you're spending $5,000 a month on fuel, that's a ton of money saved."

24/7 Anytime, Anywhere Tracking

The Fleetmatics GPS Tracking System utilizes an Internet-based interface that requires no additional software or downloads to run. This means that users can access the system anytime, anywhere from any Internet-enabled computer.

ServiceMaster of Onondaga County provides after-hours service, so Fleetmatics allows Mr. Close to track his vehicles from home when the office is closed. In addition, Mr. Close has even accessed the system while on vacation.

"I was on a cruise to Alaska, but I had my iPhone, so I could still see where my guys were, where they were going and if they were speeding," said Mr. Close. "It really gave me peace of mind while I was on vacation."

With 24/7 tracking, Mr. Close can make sure his business continues to be productive even when he is away. But the tracking features of Fleetmatics proved to be much more valuable than Mr. Close imagined.

Quick Recovery of Stolen Vehicles and Equipment

On the evening of December 18, somebody broke into the ServiceMaster of Onondaga warehouse. The thieves stole two vehicles and $35,000 worth of equipment.

Using Fleetmatics, Mr. Close was able to show police the exact location of the vehicles. The two vehicles were immediately recovered, but as is often the case, the equipment was no longer in the trucks.

Luckily, Fleetmatics GPS includes a Route Replay feature which shows the historic journey taken by each vehicle. Mr. Close pulled up the Route Replay of the stolen vehicles and showed police where the thieves had gone with the trucks.

They discovered the vehicles stopped at five different locations. The police dispatched units to those locations and found that equipment had been unloaded at each stop.

"We recovered 90 percent of the stolen equipment," said Mr. Close "When the police saw the Fleetmatics system, their jaws dropped. They couldn't believe it!"

In addition, the police discovered stolen equipment from other area businesses at the drop points. They were able to link the thieves to 18 other break-ins. The thieves are now serving a 15 year prison sentence.

"Fleetmatics and our discovery made the police look really good," said Mr. Close. "Getting equipment stolen can put you out of commission for a while. It's good to see that these robbers got caught and are not out there stealing from this community anymore."

Proven Results

Fleetmatics GPS tracking far exceeded the expectations of ServiceMaster of Onondaga. Mr. Close can now track all his vehicles down to their precise locations, fuel usage has dropped, and speeding and idle times have decreased.

"We save significantly on gas and now I have a handle on all my vehicles," said Mr. Close. "This is the best thing for me as an owner. Fleetmatics gave us tremendous benefits in a short period of time."